Nigeria Confirms U.S. Airstrikes on ISIS After Trump Announces ‘Powerful’ Military Action

The United States carried out airstrikes on ISIS targets in Nigeria on Thursday, President Trump announced, marking a significant escalation in U.S. counterterrorism activity in West Africa.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.”

The president did not release additional information about the operation, including casualty figures, the number of strikes conducted, or the specific targets hit. He described them only as “numerous perfect strikes.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed the action in a post on X, saying, “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come… Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation.” The Defense Department also shared an unclassified nine‑second video on X that appeared to show a missile being launched from a U.S. military vessel.

@POTUS “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries! I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.

Nigeria’s foreign ministry acknowledged the operation in a statement, noting that U.S. officials had provided advance notice. The ministry said Nigerian authorities “remain engaged in structured security cooperation with international partners, including the United States of America, in addressing the persistent threat of terrorist and violent extremism,” adding that this cooperation “has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West.”

Trump said in November that he intended to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. Such a designation is typically made following recommendations from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and the State Department, though it can be issued at any time. The label authorizes potential penalties but does not automatically trigger sanctions.

The State Department’s annual Report on International Religious Freedom, usually released in the spring, has not yet been published this year.

Nigerian officials have pushed back on Trump’s assertions that the government is failing to protect Christian communities. Analysts note that while Christians have been among those targeted by armed groups, the majority of victims in Nigeria’s northern regions—where most attacks occur—are Muslims.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has previously rejected claims that Nigeria is hostile to religious minorities. “Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said on social media. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”

The U.S. first placed Nigeria on the “country of particular concern” list in 2020, citing “systematic violations of religious freedom,” though the designation did not specifically focus on attacks against Christians. It was removed in 2023, a move widely viewed as an effort to strengthen diplomatic ties ahead of a visit by then‑Secretary of State Antony Blinken.